The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-08
THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.

THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS
The Patton minority report upon General
Crosses bill for the reorganization of the State
benevolent institutions is so evidently mere
ton. The Democratic party has played game
Of political battledore and shuttlecock with the
State benevolences, just as it suited their
party necessities. When the Governor was
Democrat, they wanted the Governor to
appoint the trustees; when he was Repub-
lican and the General Assembly was Demo
cratic, then they repealed the law and gave
the election to the Legislature. The Demo
cratic party cannot be trusted to treat the
benevolences of the State upon principle,
and therefore their report and bill are utterly
worthless as indicating any party policy. On
the other hand, the Republican party has
been and is pledged to reform in the manage
ment Of the State institutions, and to re-
form based upon the true principles of civil
service reform. General Crosses measure is
in harmony with that attitude, and is, besides,
the mature work of man who has
given much thought to the subject and who
has had large experience in dealing with some
of the questions involved. It is eminently
proper that the Governor should always have
the responsibility of naming the trustees, sub
| ject to the confirmation of the Senate. Any
other plan diffuses responsibility, and neces-
sarily results badly. Give the Governor the
authority and responsibility, and then hold
him to it. 1t is also proper that the two great
political parties should be represented upon
| the boards. The only difference there might
be is one of minor detail; but, upon the prin-
! ciple of separate. boards for each institution,
the plan of General Crosse is the only practi-
cable one for securing non partisan control,
| while the presence of woman upon each of
the boards is in harmony with the best
thought and experience. 1t will be a godsend
to the female patients and inmates of the in
stitutions if there shall bea capable, energetic,
| sympathetic woman upon the boards. The
Grose bill should be promptly passed by the
House of Representatives, thus giving to the
people of the State another earnest of the de-
sire of the Republican party to redeem their
| pledges in the interest of the public good.
If there. was any doubt conc arning the
duty Of Republicans to investigate the man
agement of the State institutions it has been
removed by the avowed purpose of the Demo
Gratis to prevent any change in the manage
ment. They not only propose to prevent in
vestigation, but to ignore the charges of mis-
management, and defy the popular demand
that their management be reformed. This is
in keeping with the Democratic theory that the
institutions and all the Offices connected with
| them belong to the Democratic party man
ayers, and that the people have no right to
| know anything about them. The scheme to
prevent a change in the present control of the
institutions is simply defiance of the people
and of the law. The Journal has said before,
and it repeats, that there have been gross and
scandalous abuses under the present manage
ment. This can be proven. The charges
made during the campaign were not campaign
! lies. They were true-not the whole truth
but part of it. The people have a right to
know the whole truth, and to this end a
thorough investigation should be made.
|